James Hunley of Sunset Development requested Mason’s support for the project which is worth five points in the evaluation process. LEADS is seeking approximately $40,000 per unit in tax credits from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. The renovation work would include new windows and doors plus interior improvements.

Applications were due Feb. 20 and funding decisions are expected to be announced in June. Hundley said it would take about a year to start the work. If funded, local managers would not fill vacancies so residents would not have to be moved off-site under renovation.

“I would like council’s endorsement to sign this letter,” Mason told council members.

In other business at the Feb. 12 council meeting, the fire department administrative staff recommended that part-time firefighter Jeremiah Weekly be selected to fill the full-time fire fighter/ paramedic position. All part-time paramedics were evaluated.

Weekly is the son of Fire Chief Randy Weekly and has a fulltime position with the Newark Fire Department. He has worked part-time for Hebron for years, but now must overcome the village’s nepotism ban.

Last month, Mason said there are two options – Randy Weekly can retire or council can waive the ban in this case. Jeremiah asked council members for a waiver in January. “I would like the opportunity to be eligible for the position.”

Randy Weekly asked council members to approve Licking Memorial Health Systems’ offer to upgrade existing heart monitors to LIFEPAK 15 from LIFEPAK 12. “There is no cost (to Hebron),” he explained. Council members unanimously agreed. Hebron would get two new monitors/ defibrillators which are the new standard in emergency care. Licking Memorial is replacing older monitors county-wide.

He called January a very busy month with 102 runs, split evenly between Fire and EMS. Police Lt. Larry Brooks reported for Chief James Dean. The department had 210 calls in January – 117 self-initiated calls by officers on patrol. The month’s 210 calls were up from 184 in January 2013. He said the department’s new cruiser should arrive in a couple of weeks.

Mason told Brooks that a nonresident had recently complained to him about the police presence in the village “Thank you for your presence in our community,” Mason told him.

In his report, Village Administrator Ralph Wise said almost 600 residential water meters – about 70 percent – have been replaced with the new meters. The water treatment plant’s two lime sludge lagoons need to be cleaned this year. Ohio EPA has approved land applying the sludge in Licking County and seven nearby counties. The project is estimated to cost about $125,000. Bids will be opened next month.

Wise said the Licking Park District has submitted a letter of interest to the Ohio Department of Transportation for a 2014 Transportation Alternative Program. The project is to pave the 3.8-mile Ohio Canal Greenway which runs from Canal Park to Ohio 79 west of Buckeye Lake Village. Council members previously authorized a letter of support. Wise said the next step would be a request for a complete application. If funded, work probably wouldn’t be done until 2016 or 2017.

Last month, Mason with council’s approval, appointed J. Wayne Carruthers to fill the rest of Tom Marietta’s term on Planning and Zoning Board. Marietta was elected to council as a write-in candidate.